The present invention relates to a drive system for a thin-film EL display device, which includes an EL thin layer sandwiched between a pair of dielectric layers and, more particularly, to a drive system for a thin-film EL matrix display panel.
A thin-film EL element can stably provide electroluminescence of high brightness. Therefore, a flat matrix display is developed, wherein a plurality of data line electrodes and a plurality of scanning line electrodes are formed on a pair of dielectric layers, between which an EL thin layer is sandwiched, in a matrix fashion. A desired data line and a desired scanning line are connected to receive high voltages so as to provide the electroluminescence at a picture point where selected data line and scanning line cross each other, whereby a desired symbol or picture is displayed in a dot matrix fashion.
In the above-mentioned drive system, when the number of data line electrodes connected to receive a data signal increases, there is a possibility that half-selected picture points, where the nonselected data line electrode and the scanning line electrode which is receiving the scanning signal cross each other, provide light emission. This deteriorates the display quality.